Kiss A Dragon
by Raureru
Summary: Syaoran, once a demonic prince, has been doomed to live a dragon's life. Will it be up to Sakura to restore him? (AU) ~S+S~
1. Only a dream?

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own CCS. CLAMP does, you big silly.

{:::::::::::::          Kiss A Dragon…          :::::::::::::} 

by- _Raureru_

__ __ __ __ __ __ --_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--Chapter 1= Only a dream?--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_-- 

A pretty girl in a cream-colored coat stood atop the penguin slide. Leaning a soft hand on the plastic crown, she exposed herself to the thick sheets of gentle rain that were constantly falling over the healthy land. It spread its goodness all across Tomoeda, generously renewing the botanical life around her. The trees looked happy seeing as they reached their long, unkept branches toward the sparkling sky water, hoping for a drink, embracing the hazy atmosphere as it wept. The asphalt was covered in a layer of glassy wetness, mirroring the city lights and the minty gray sky. It was indeed a magical sight.

 Caught up in the moment, the girl closed her eyes and tilted her head back to meet the rain. It soothingly fell over her cute features. Her skin was lightly tanned, youthful, and clean, not a single blemish was to be found. A soft breeze played with the girl's ruffled brown skirt. Her short auburn hair elegantly twirled in the stormy wind. Her by passers tried to convince themselves she was some kind of mirage, for what were the odds of seeing someone so ethereal standing out and alone in the rain? It was an odd sight and the girl's coat flowing behind her with its cape-like quality made the presence all the more mysterious. Regardless of how many people stared or dropped their umbrellas at the sight of her, she continued to enjoy the refreshing rainwater.

 A smile curled up on her face as her eyes flew open to reveal a pair of shocking green orbs. This girl, she was known as---

"Sakura!"

Sakura turned around at the sound of her name. Behind her she saw her friend Tomoyo running toward her, drenched to the bone.

"Tomoyo-chan!" she leaped from the slide and landed firmly on the ground. "What are you doing out here?"

"Me? What about you? You're the one who ran off. Did you forget we had a study date with the girls?"

Sakura's eyes widened, "Hooeeee!!!"

Tomoyo shook her head with a sigh, "So you did forget."

"I _completely_ forgot! How am I ever going to get a good score on that test now?!" eccentric tears were streaming down her face.

"Not to worry. I'm sure we can get some studying done if we hurry to my house."

"You really mean it Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura was getting all starry-eyed.

"Why not?"

"Arigatou! You're an angel!"

Beneath all the dark hair sticking to her face, Tomoyo smiled. 

"Wouldn't want to catch a could, would we? We best get going."

"H-hai." 

And with that, they started the cold walk home. It seemed like an eternity as the wind chilled their wet bodies. They were still in their short school uniforms after all. 

"Tomoyo…" 

"Nani?"

"I had that dream again."

"The lucky dream?"

"Hai." That's what they called it. It was a reoccurring dream that Sakura never ceased to have. The dream amazingly had brought her good luck for the past several years. She often grew bored of it, and prayed to dream of something else for a change, but her prayers were never answered. She didn't mind it as much now though. Actually, she was beginning to take a liking to it.

"It hasn't stopped yet?"

"Afraid not. I've wanted it to for so long. Call me crazy, but I'm beginning to think it means something." Visions of the dream replayed in her head.

***Dream*~*~*~*~*~*~***

_It was raining. Sakura didn't understand why everything was so moist in her dreams. She dwelled in the forest, walking along a narrow dirt path. The watery patches made it extremely hard to walk, let alone stand properly on her feet, which were heavily caked in mud. But then again, it was always hard to move in dreams. Glaring up at the dripping trees, she stumbled over her rounded shoes. The path seemed endless as she walked on.  _

_ Her clothing clinged tightly to her skin and she struggled to tear her legs from each other, but she felt somehow that she had to continue down the road… like something was waiting for her… or something needed her. So on went the journey, and she endured many miserable minutes, clumsily slipping from time to time._

_Much to Sakura's relief, the road ended… but there was no possible way she could go any further. The musty trees grouped together and formed a tight wall around the oblong shaped patch of earth that was the road's undoing. She began to panic, not having a clue of what to do at this point. Then all the memories of this reoccurring dream hit her. All she had to do now was wait for 'him'._

_There was a snort behind her. She wirled around to stare up at the face of a dragon, whose neck towered a good five feet over her. He had small fine scales, a honey color lightly tinted with brown. Underneath his slender figure were four strong legs. The front feet resembled an eagle's talons, while his hind legs looked as if they belonged to a dinosaur: massive and double-jointed, heavy black claws protruding out of six flat toes. His thick chestnut mane ran like a river down past the end of his whip-like tail, where it collected together into an elegant tassel. At his face the mane was rather messy, stray strands of hair stood up on their own whereas the rest fell over his slitted amber eyes. Tucked under the mane were two flexible onyx wings. They fanned out to reveal the glossy transparent webbings. He had a tidy face, the cheekbones of a stallion and a long graceful snout. His large frilled ears were drooping from the rain._

_Sakura stood in awe of the wondrous animal. She slowly walked to him, enclosing the little space they had between them. She reached out and gently stroked the back of his smooth neck and ran her fingers through his mane. The dragon flinched at her first touch, but then took kindly to it as he purred. Sakura surrendered a sad smile. Perhaps in her dreams was the only place she'd ever be able to have a dragon of her own._

_Much to her surprise, he coiled his neck and lifted Sakura off the ground by the back of her shirt. He gently sat her down on his back, as she gripped onto his broad shoulders, knowing what came next. He ran wildly and readied his wings for takeoff. Finally one good leap into the air and a well placed beat of his wings, and they were off. They broke through the captivating treetops and rocketed towards the blue night sky. It didn't take long for Sakura to notice that the rain had stopped and they were soaring through clean dry air. Her eyes glimmered with delight as she saw the happy lit town of Tomoeda below her. She loved seeing everything at a bird's view, from the green blanket that was the trees to the tiny wandering people who looked as if they were ants. _

_Without notice, she encircled her arms around the dragon's neck and gave him a big hug. She closed her eyes and sighed happily.  She loved being with her dragon. Hers, only hers. Only her-_

"Sakura-chan?"

A voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Hoe?" Sakura sweatdropped as she looked over at her confused friend.

"Daijouka, Sakura-chan?"

"Hai, Tomoyo-chan. I just sort of zoned out for a minute there. Eh-he-he."

"You know, I'm worried about you. It was mighty odd seeing you stand out in the rain like that."

"I was out there because….in my dream….it rains……just like it did today….."

"And you were thinking about going into the forest?"

"… to… find my dragon."

"But Sakura-chan, aren't dragons just fairy-tale creatures? I mean, they don't really exist."

"But he felt so real…"

"Dreams often do feel real. So why the sudden interest in your dream? After all these years?" 'All these years' was a sort of an awkward way to put it, on account of they were only thirteen.

"Because, I feel closer to the dream now than I ever have before. It can't be much longer until I finally find out what everything means. It's practically uncanny to dream of the same thing every night for seven years."

"It's worth it though. Seeing a dragon in your dreams gives you extremely good luck, and you're the luckiest girl I know! You've got all the guys drooling over you, you're smart, your cheerleading squad has freakishly won every tournament since you joined, your-"

"Tomoyo-chan, you're embarrassing me!" Sakura fanned her flushed face with her hand.

"It's only true."

"Maybe. But I can care less about the luck. I just want to see my dragon. After all that dreaming it would be such a disappointment to find out that he isn't real."

"Aa. I hope you find your dragon."

"Me too." 

"You know, Sakura-chan…" Tomoyo hid her face from Sakura's view.

"Hoe?"

"There's a big sleepover at my house tomorrow night!! And _you_," she stuck a finger at her, missing her nose by millimeters, "have been invited!!"

"…"

You won't believe how many clothes I have for you to try on! O-hohohohoho, you'll look sooo kawaii!!!"

"Um... I can't wait!" Sakura was looking forward to the slumber party already. It would take a load off her mind.

As Tomoyo listed off all the people who were going to be there, the activities, etc., Sakura's thoughts wandered to her dream once more:

_''The dream is becoming clearer with each passing day. I want to see my dragon again… I feel so comfortable and happy when I'm around him._ _But why? Well, whatever the feeling, I hope I will just once be able to touch him, stroke him in reality._

_Wait! What am I thinking? This is stupid. How can I even hope for such an impossible thing? [ Maybe]  Tomoyo was right… they're only fairy-tales… story-book characters… a product of imagination… just a dream…_

_But I can't help but think that my dragon does exist. Like he's somewhere out there, watching over me. But if that's so, why haven't I seen him?  _

_I hope the day will come… that I meet my dragon…_

_…at last.'_

**--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--**

***A/N*****~ **Well *yawn*there's the first chapter. Plain, boring, I know. I'm just making this up as I go. Erm… not much to say here… OL, Hope you enjoyed!

Don't forget to leave a review! ^_~

_--Raureru_

__


	2. Taken

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own CCS. Clamp does, you big silly.

Many thanks to the following for their wonderful reviews!

dghjgf

MElly L

=The story is set in present time, by the way. Sakura finds herself visiting another world, not another time period. The prince I guess has lived for thousands of years as a dragon, since they intentionally live much longer than humans. =

Duck

Megami No Hikari

Sakura-Star-66

vnrose04

Cheery Wolf

chiharu mihara

I have the reviews from the story I deleted. There were a few technical difficulties their… 

Just keep in mind that I'm open to any comments/ideas/questions/etc. Arigatou, and enjoy the story! ^o^

{:::::::::::::     Kiss A Dragon…      :::::::::::::}

by- Raureru

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=Chapter 2~ Taken=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

*Buzz* *Buzz*

"Nnn…" A sleeping Sakura was tossing and turning in her pink sheets.

*Buzz* *Buzz*

"Rrmph…" The alarm clock buzzed and buzzed…

*Buzz* *Buzz*

"::snore:: " But alas, she did not wake up.

*Buzz* *Buzz*

Then finally---

Sakura lifted her arms above her head and pulled them into a long stretch. She clumsily knocked the clock off her bedside table. The crash had her sitting up straight as a stick in no time. 

"Eh?" She hastily picked the broken clock up off the ground and stared into the shattered face. She very much disliked what she saw.

"Hoooooeeeeeee!! I'm gonna be late!!!" Only twenty minutes until class started. Of course, waking up this late was only natural for the queen of naps.

Touya could here his little sister's ruckus from downstairs.

"Oi, Kaijuu!" 

He was answered with a giant 'thud' from Sakura, which caused bits of the ceiling to fall. 

He sighed, "Why? Why every morning?"

Fujitaka ran out of the kitchen. "Is everything alright Touya?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

"I thought I felt an earthquake."

"Iie. There's nothing like that. The squirt just got up late… again."

"So I see." He couldn't help but smile.

Seconds later, Sakura came staggering down the stairs, backpack in hand, and flew out the front door.

"Wait, Sakura! What about your breakfast?!" Fujitaka yelled. He blinked at the slice of strawberry shortcake in his hands.

Sure enough, she rushed back into to the house to claim her cake.  "Arigatou, 'tou-san." And she dashed back out.  Calmly following her was Touya, hands in his pockets. A wide grin spread across Fujitaka's face.

"Sometimes I wonder why I was given such strange children."

=+=+=+=+=

"Ohayo!" Sakura burst into her homeroom class, as cheerful as ever.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo rushed over to her.

It was then she noticed that everyone was louder than usual. The giggles and snickers and exclamations were almost deafening.

"What's all the excitement about?"

"You mean you didn't hear?!"

"No, I didn't."

"Oh, this is so cool! You see there's this-"

"Ohayo, class." They were interrupted by Kazami-sensei (A/N~ Some made-up person).

"I'll tell you later," Tomoyo whispered. Sakura gave her an agreeable nod.

"Enough chat. Take your seats."

The class immediately sat down, breaking up all the happy banter.

"I'm sure you're all aware of the Valentines Dance next month."

"Hai!" They answered.

Sakura glanced over at Tomoyo with a quizzical look. Her violet eyes widened with happiness as she rapidly nodded her head, as if saying- 'That's the big news! Isn't it great?' Sakura just blinked and returned her focus to the teacher.  She never cared much for Valentines Day events, and had no romantic motivation whatsoever.

"We'll need to get the roles in order. Certain people will take charge of certain things, and I'm sure you all want this dance to be as fun as possible. Therefore, I've provided a volunteer list," Kazami-sensei gestured to the far end of the blackboard, where a clipboard was hanging on the wall, "so that that there won't be any confusion. Be sure to sign up soon, or you'll be stuck with cleanup." She gave a mischievous wink. 

Excited whispers ran through the class once again. Most of the voices belonged to the girls, as they fought over eligible dates. Sakura drowned out the annoying chatter and turned her head to look out the window, unaware of the group of boys sitting on the edge of their seats just to get a glimpse of her backside. It was then she saw a most peculiar sight.

Perched on a nearby cherry tree was an abnormally large crow, basking in its own satanic beauty. It stretched its sleek black wings as it leered over at her, human intentions hidden behind a pair of beady eyes. For a moment Sakura could've sworn she saw a small grin tugging at the corners of its dark beak. An uneasy feeling came over her as she noticed its menacing stare, burning holes through her delicate soul. What did the bird want? Was it possible that-

"Miss Kinomoto!" Kazami-sensei slapped her desk with a ruler. Everyone snapped their heads up to the cracking noise, releasing a few snickers as they recognized the situation from many times before.

"Hoe!"

"Daydreaming again, are you?" That wasn't exactly it, but her rambling continued, "I suppose you haven't noticed that we've started the lesson."

"Oh, um….," she reluctantly dipped her head, "Gomen nasai…"

"That's better. If I catch you dozing off again you'll be scrubbing the hallway floors. Is that clear?"

"Hai."

"Very well then. Shall we continue?" Kazami trotted back to the front of the room, swinging her hips perhaps a little more than she needed to.

Sakura sighed. Harsh as her teacher was, she had no choice but to obey her. She sat up straight in perfect posture as she peered out the window through the corner of her eye. Sure enough, the crow was still there: still as a statue, still watching her every move. She wrinkled her eyebrows and groaned. 

'Fly away already, will you?'

 The bird did not budge.

'Come on… go away…'

No sign of movement.

"GO AWAY! CAN'T YOU TAKE A HINT?!!" she finally screamed, banging her fist against the glass.

"Miss Kinomoto!"

=+=+=+=+=

"I really appreciate you helping me scrub the floors, Tomoyo-chan."

It turned out that Kazami-sensei had kept her word. Sakura received a fair punishment after disrupting the class. She was now digging at the scum between the tiles and wiping the dirty footprints, with her loyal friend there to help her of course. She grew irritable as her back became sore and grout made its way under her fingernails. She had hoped for a relaxing evening but had gotten this instead. So much for being the 'lucky girl'.

"Oh, think nothing of it. What are friends for?"

Sakura put on a small smile to mask her guilt. Tomoyo really was a great friend. Always there, ready to lend a hand, helping them both through thick and thin.

"But you know, that whole situation with the was pretty weird. You sure you weren't hallucinating?"

"I'm sure. I know it was there. It looked at me almost like--- it wanted something. It probably would've flown in and pecked my eyes out if it weren't for the window."

"Hnn--- Creepy---"

"Tell me about it." Sakura grunted. Then she accidentally slid on her belly, knocking over a large pail of soapy water. It spilled and stretched freely across the floors, suds collecting beneath the lockers.

Tomoyo giggled. "Here, let me help you with that."

=+=+=+=+=

"Ugh. I thought that would never end!" Sakura happily embraced the fresh air as if she hadn't had any for years. They had been scrubbing for quite a long time and were extremely relieved. The sky had turned gold in color, bringing the full moon forward. The outdoors looked exceptionally beautiful today.

"Yeah. Imagine how much longer you would've been in there if I hadn't joined you," Tomoyo playfully teased.

"Uh-huh. I probably wouldn't have made it out of there alive." Sakura rubbed her spine, " Squatting is very painful."

Tomoyo's eyelids lifted in sudden realization.

"Sakura-chan, where's our stuff?"

"We must've left it in the hall."

"Oh, alright. I'll go get it. Don't walk home without me!" she chirped. She ran back into the silhouetted building, long dark hair flailing behind her.

 Sakura chose to sit on the handrail to wait for Tomoyo. She kicked her legs back and forth impatiently. How long could it take to simply retrieve something? 

A shrill 'caw' and the sound of beating wings caused her to jump off the uncomfortable rail. She watched a single black feather drop from the sky. She held out her hand as the feather landed softly in her palm. Her thoughts traced back to the crow she saw in first period. Could it be that it was still here? 'Nah,' Sakura thought, 'It's probably long gone by now'. She turned her head toward the school, only to prove how wrong she was.

A few feet up the ascending rail was the crow, wide gray talons wrapped around the rusty metal. It's shining eyes looked as if they had witnessed her whole life, like they knew all her secrets. It shimmied down a few inches closer, its neck lowered as it squinted up at the half-scared Sakura. After studying her startled features, it took flight, gliding dangerously close to her head.

Fwoosh!

 She wirled around as the bird flew past her, holding a fist close to her heart. She watched as it turned and stopped to face Sakura once more, and wrapped its wings over itself as if it were a cocoon. It slowly expanded as did its feathery shield, the larger the veiled body became, the closer it drew to the ground. Finally the wings peeled back to reveal a lovely girl in place of the horrendous crow.

The girl landed softly on her polished oak sandals. She had skin as pale as the moon itself, complexion fresh and flawless. Her long raven hair was pulled into two neat buns at the top of her head, in which two crimson tassels were hung. The rest of the lengths flowed freely. Her body was wrapped in a blood red kimono, complicated patterns of blackbirds and sea grass decorated everything from the dropping sleeves to each bottom trim. A dark green obi clinged tightly to her waist. She stood straight and tall, looking very formal. Her ruby eyes flickered in desperation.

"You're the one." She said in an unconscious voice.

"Wha- I-I don't know what you're talking about." Sakura tried to run, but failed as her fear kept her anchored to the ground. She was much to busy staring at the large black wings on the girl's back to tell her body to move, no matter how much she wanted to get away.  

"You can help us." The girl drew closer.   

"N-no! Get away from me!"

She raised a hand to Sakura's face. Sakura stiffened and stared at it, eyes wide, unable to predict what the mysterious girl was about to do. An orange glow emitted from the hand just inches from her nose, as her eyes suddenly grew heavy and she fell unconscious into the girl's arms. The sleeping spell cast, Sakura was no longer aware of what was happening.

Tomoyo chose that exact moment to run out of the building with their belongings.

"Great Kami-sama----" she dropped the book bags at the immortal sight.

A winged maiden drifted in the air a few meters above her. Was she an angel? No---- she couldn't be. Tomoyo thought she looked much too eerie. She noticed a limp figure cradled in the girl's arms. It looked a lot like--- No, it couldn't be. Or was it-? It was---

"Sakura--?" she said in a small voice. "No---- SAKURA!!!!"

The flying figure expressionlessly looked down to her.

"There's nothing you can do." 

Tomoyo was slightly offended. "I don't know who or what you are, but if you don't bring Sakura back down here, I'LL SEND A PLANE AFTER YOU!!!"

"My, my. Such anger. And I thought you'd be frightened."

Tomoyo was on the verge of tears. "Put her DOWN!"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that. She has a big part to play." The girl shot higher into the air, the gust from her wings sent loose dirt into the air and clouded Tomoyo's vision.

"Don't you dare leave!" she managed to cough out.

When the dust cleared, she could barely make out a distant figure soaring to an unknown destination in the sea of stars, her dear friend being carried away with it. 

Soon the sky swallowed them both, and Tomoyo could see them no more.

She fell to her knees. Shock, fear, and sorrow surged threw her veins all at once. Her best friend---- 

---had been 'taken'.

=+=+=+=+=

Sakura's eyes slowly opened. She was laying on something--- something 'itchy'. She sat up to find that she was in a large dusty bed, supported by rusty bars with a plain fir headboard. She gasped as she took in the rest of her surroundings. Various items and trinkets messily decorated the cozy room. All of which she had never seen before. Gold charms shimmered as they twirled and swung from the ceiling. Candlelight danced on the walls and incense sticks were placed at every corner. The place felt rather comfy indeed.

Nevertheless, Sakura was still scared and confused.

"Wh-where am I?"

The door on the far end of the room creaked open.

"Well. Finally awake, are we?"

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

*A/N*~ Sorry It took me a while to update. What's funny is that I actually forgot I even had this story for a while ^^;; Lol, silly me. Hope you liked the chapter anyway. (I thought it was extremely corny -__-")

Don't forget to leave a review!

-^o^- Raureru -^o^-


	3. In This New World

****

Disclaimer: I'll just stop writing this. Y'all should get the idea by now…

~Many thanks to the following for their wonderful reviews!~

Dragonstar03

MegamiNoHikari

MellyL

Kawaii-CherryWolf

Talker

BlakBluNailPolish45

Winged Guardian

Sakura-Star-66

****

*A/N*~ Eh. Sorry if this story's been kind of messy. The second chapter came out all wrong and this thing's just all over the place right now. I'll try to keep everything a little cleaner.

Enjoy the story! -^o^-

{::::::::::::: Kiss A Dragon… :::::::::::::}

__

by- Raureru

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

__

One girl… taken from everything she loves… finds herself in strange new surroundings…

… but little does she know…

… an unfulfilled destiny awaits her…

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=Chapter 3~ In This New World…=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

"Well. Finally awake, are we?"

In the doorway stood a little red man. He wore an old green cloth with a rope tied around his thick waist. Curly gray hair grew on his stubby legs, chest, and shoulders, whereas the top of his large head was shiny and hairless.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

The short creature quirked a brow. "Come now. Is that any way to say hello?" His voice was old and gruff.

"I-I'm sorry. You just surprised me." Sakura eyed him up and down. "What are you?"

"Ah, forgive me. I am-" He paused in and wrinkled his nose. "Do you smell something… burning?"

She sniffed the air. "Yeah…"

A feminine shriek echoed in the next room, followed by a series of "oh no!"s and the clashing of iron kettles and shattering stone. Foul smoke streamed through the air and Sakura was forced to hold her nose. She wasn't at an angle where she could see what the commotion was about and decided not to look. She felt much safer on the bed. The little old creature on the other hand, did different.

"Not again," he mumbled. He ran into the room where Sakura couldn't see him.

She heard his voice. "Good heavens! Meiling, child! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. It just caught fire and-" came the voice of a perky female.

"Sorry? Feh! You stink up my house and you say you're sorry?!"

"I thought I'd fix up a little something as a surprise."

"I told you to wait until I got back, you foolish girl!"

"Ugh, you're so ungrateful. I was just trying to be helpful!

"By nearly killing us with your cooking? You can hardly boil water!"

"How would you know if it'd kill you or not? You haven't even tried it!"

"I can barely stand the smell! I'm surprised our guest hasn't fallen dead to the ground!"

"You mean she's awake?"

"You were here at home and you didn't know?"

"Oh, why do I even bother! It's no wonder you don't have a wife. You're a stubborn old man!"

"Bah! What do you know? Now to do something about this smell…"

"Watch your back, old man. Some day when you least expect it-"

"Oh, hush. The girl is in the living space, listening to all of your wining."

"I'm wining? I'm wining indeed!"

"Indeed you are. Now, don't be rude. Go greet the girl. And don't scare her either. She looks a bit uneasy."

"Fine…"

A girl walked out into the "living space" and stood before Sakura. Sakura's eyes widened as she recognized her from before. Memories of the crow swam through her head as she studied her. She had same ruby eyes, the same liquid raven hair, the same big black wings grown neatly under her shoulders. Yet the expressionless face she wore the first time they met was gone. Sakura was sure they were the same person, though this time, she found her presence much warmer.

"Hello." She spoke through a smile.

"Y-you. You're the one who brought me here, aren't you?" Sakura stammered.

"That I am."

"Wh-where am I?"

"You are in Filgaia, world of dreams."

"Filgaia… so this all must be a dream, right?"

"Wrong. Just because it's the world_ of _dreams doesn't mean that it actually is one." She said, holding up her index finger in a matter-of-fact manner.

"But, it has to be. All this isn't possible."

"Oh, but it is."

Sakura still wasn't very convinced, but she proceeded with her questioning. "Can you take me home?" 

"No, I'm afraid I can't."

"But you brought me here! Why can't you?"

"I was unconscious for all of it. I don't know the way."

"Wha-"

"I was being used as a puppet." She looked at the confused expression on Sakura's face and chuckled. "I guess this is all going too fast for you. It will take time for you to adjust to this place. I'll explain later."

"Um… alright." 

There was silence between the two. Sakura fiddled with her starchy sheets as the other girl looked off in a foreign direction. There was only the sound of the little old man cleaning and stacking in the kitchen. The girl turned to Sakura.

"I should introduce myself," She put on a warm face and stuck out her hand. "I'm Meiling."

"Sakura Kinomoto. Nice to meet you." She hesitantly placed her hand in the other girl's and shook it.

"Meiling!" The old man came waddling out of the kitchen. "You're going to have to clean up the rest. I can't seem to hold my own in there with that horrible smell lingering."

"Gennai, you old fool! You can't do anything!" She spat.

"It's your mess. And let's not forget that I'm the one letting you stay here."

She stomped into the kitchen, but not before giving the old man a slap on his bald head. The man seemed used to it however.

"You two really know each other, huh?" Sakura blurted.

"Yes. We've known each other longer than you could imagine." He crookedly sat himself on the old rocker chair by the bed.

"So your name is-"

"Gennai. Gennai of the dwarves. The oldest of the lot of 'em." Gennai flashed a large, proud smile.

"You're a dwarf?" Sakura choked. "This _is _a dream, isn't it?"

The flames of ancient knowledge flickered in his old wise eyes. "How could it be,… when you are only able to dream about the dragon?"

Shock overcame her. "H-how did you know about that?!"

"I can see into your very soul, Sakura. The things you keep bottled up inside you become the most visible. That is why you must become stronger during your stay here. The demons can smell your fear."

"Demons? You're joking…"

"No." Gennai made a mental note to keep from saying things that might overwhelm her.

She hung her head and twirled her fingers in her sheets. Her bangs fell over her eyes as she hoarsely whispered, "Where's my father?" She lifted her face and her determined eyes met a worried Gennai. "Where's Tomoyo?! Where's big brother?!"

"They are not here…"

"Will I ever see them again?!" Gennai was silent. "Say something! Please!! GENNAI!!" She clenched her teeth as tears balled up in the corners of her eyes. Gennai only looked at her, with a face that was almost sorrowful. "So that's it," her voice was barely audible. "I'll never see them again…" 

"That's not necessarily true."

"You mean I _can _see them?"

"You will eventually."

"Eventually?" she groaned. "But-"

"You were brought to Filgaia for a reason. You must serve your purpose here before you can return to your world."

Her eyes fell. " What do I have to do here?"

"That is something I don't have the knowledge to answer."

"How am I supposed to serve my purpose…. If I don't know what it is?"

"Ah, but that's why we are journeying to Soundria, the bottom of the world. The Southern Oracle resides there. She'll give you the answers to all your questions."

"An _oracle_." She whimpered. 

=+=+=+=+=

"Come on out, Sakura!"

Only two hours after discovering where she was, Gennai and Meiling demanded that she come with them to the midyear fair. **(*A/N*~** How considerate…**)** The midyear fair was an annual event, as explained by Meiling. People from all over Filgaia came to Moiré, the dwarf town, which happened to be the town they were in. With them they brought many foreign things and beasts and sold them at the best prices. There would be musical entertainment and dancing, and plenty of food. Meiling promised Sakura that it would be lots of fun. So apparently, she shoved Sakura into one of her best dresses for the occasion.

"Do I really have to wear this?" she poked her head out from behind the kitchen wall. The kitchen was the only place to change aside from the living room. 

"Yes! You do! Now get yourself out here so I can see." Meiling gestured for her to come forward.

"But-"

"Now!"

Sakura hesitantly stepped out of the stone kitchen. The dress she wore was a lush lemon color, and ended in beautiful ruffles. The sleeves were short and puffy, frilled lace lined the ends. A large bow was tied around her delicate waist and her legs were wrapped in dozens of creamy ribbons, the extra lengths flowed from the knots tied high on her thighs. On her feet were comfortable white shoes, plain yet elegant. The outfit itself wasn't extremely showy, but she wore it well. The dress reminded her of all the costumes Tomoyo would make for her, which earned a depressed sigh out of Sakura.

"You look wonderful!" She squealed.

Sakura felt sick. Everything had been so sudden, and all she wanted to do was go home. The dress she was forced to wear sure didn't help either.

"Why can't I just wear my normal clothes?" She pouted.

"Because you'd look like a fool. You want to blend in, don't you?"

"So this is what you guys wear?" She lifted one of her layers of skirts and peered at it in curiosity.

"Yup! And you're going to have to get used to the fashion sense here. It's nothing like where you come from."

Gennai, who was fiddling with one of his many charms, turned to face Sakura. He pushed his small glasses to the end of his nose for a better look. "I have to admit… It looks far better on you than it did on Meiling."

Meiling slapped him on the back of his head. "Shut up, old man! You wouldn't know good looks if it knocked on your front door!"

"I'd know if it was a screaming banshee." He mumbled.

Sakura giggled at their antics. Regardless of her current situation, the humor in all this couldn't escape her.

__

'Maybe this won't be so bad.'

=+=+=+=+=

Sakura took the first step outside and her breath was immediately taken away. The outdoors warmly greeted her with a bright periwinkle sky. In the sky hung two great white orbs, which looked down upon a busy old-fashioned town. The town was flooded with people, people with horns, short people, tall people, people with wings, pointy ears, giant fangs, tails, goat legs, and many things out of the ordinary. All of them happily chatting amongst themselves, visiting the old wooden carts which were parked on the cobblestones, trading and purchasing strange goods which Sakura had never seen. She could hear the merry playing of the flute along with the rustling of coins. Beyond the town was a row of big beautiful hills. Her green eyes sparkled at the little piece of this foreign world before her as it became very clear that she had stepped into the fair.

"C'mon!" Meiling excitedly grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her into the streets. "You haven't seen anything yet!" 

Sakura was speechless as they saw a tall lanky man carrying a dragon-like creature by a leather leash. The animal was small and bronze with only four limbs, two legs and two thumbed wings. People were gathered around it, stirring up conversation with its owner and patting the adorable thing on its fragile head. Sakura became rather curious. She tugged on Meiling's sleeve to earn her attention.

"What's that?" she said while pointing to the creature.

"Oh, that? That's a wyvern. They're closely related to dragons. They're more common but it's not every day you see one. That one there's still young. It'll eventually get larger."

Sakura was fascinated. "_Are_ there any dragons here?"

"Are you kidding?" Meiling laughed. "Some people go through their whole life without seeing one dragon."

"Oh…" she took that as a 'no'. "Have you ever seen a dragon, Meiling?"

Hearing this question caused Meiling's mind to go blank. The life drained from her eyes and her big smile became a mere line. "Yes, I have…"

"Really?! When?"

She looked up to the sky as the wind wove through her bangs. "It was… a long time ago…" It was as if she were searching the clouds for a memory.

"Um… Meiling?" Sakura waved a hand in front of her face. Meiling snapped out of her trance with an "oh!".

"Y'know, there's lots of other beasts here if you want to go see them."

"You mean just like that wyvern?"

"Yup. And there are some much greater."

"Let's go see them!" Her face became animated and her shining orbs glimmered with excitement.

Meiling smiled. "Alright. The musical entertainment doesn't start until later tonight anyway." She was glad Sakura found everything so exciting. She had expected lots of crying and maybe a nervous breakdown, but Sakura had taken to this in such a calm matter, or at least as calm as you could get after being kidnapped.

They turned to continue down the road of mobile shops. "The cages are down this way." Sakura impatiently followed her, trying to look as casual as she possibly could. She'd occasionally glance over at the strange objects on the carts as she passed them by. Meiling looked over her shoulder.

"You know, Sakura, you- OOF!" She had walked straight into someone, the impact sent her flailing backwards.

A shrill "Hoe!" escaped Sakura as she was knocked to the ground with Meiling. 

"Are you alright?" Came a masculine voice.

Sakura and Meiling looked up from their tangled position on the ground to see a tall young man with unruly charcoal hair looming over them. On his back were four white wings. They fanned out as his concerned face drew closer. 

Sakura scrambled to her feet and gave him an apologetic bow. "We're fine. Sorry for being in your way." She might as well play it safe.

She glanced down at Meiling, who was drooling as she gazed up at the boy's handsome face. At last she got up and pushed Sakura aside.

"Why don't you just go ahead, Sakura."

"But-"

"Please? I'll catch up with you." She pushed her in the direction of the cages. "It's down that way." Sakura turned to look at Meiling's anxious face.

"Fine…" she half grumbled. After several steps she looked back to see Meiling continuously flirting with the butterfly boy, batting her eyelashes and flashing her feathery wings. Sakura rolled her eyes. At least now she knew what type of girl she was.

She continued down the road in the direction which Meiling guided her. She fiddled with her dress, trying to ignore the looks the townspeople gave her. Did she look odd? What did they think of her? Was she walking funny? It was impossible to tell. She wasn't quite sure how to act and what to say and she felt rather uncomfortable walking alone in this new place. She could here some of the townspeople talking behind her.

"Who's that girl?----" she heard someone say.

"I've never seen her before----" _'Of course he hasn't.'_

"Nice dress. 'Suits her well----" _'A compliment?'_

"She sure is pretty----" _'I'm pretty?'_

"She's gorgeous! She'll make a perfect wife for my nephew----" _'Wife? I'm only thirteen! Better start walking faster…'_

"Oh! She's getting away. I have to ask her for her name----" 

And with that, Sakura picked up her pace. She broke into a run as she saw a skinny lady walking toward her out of the corner of her eye. She heard a "wait!" as she found refuge in a small crowd.

"That… was… close." She panted. Apparently she lost the woman. 

She lifted her head and saw that the people were gathered around what resembled a stable, supported by cherry wood with a roof embedded with hay. Sakura pushed to the front of the litter and gasped. There, tied to the posts, were three beautiful pale beasts. Their long white manes glistened as they shook their graceful necks. They would have looked like horses if it weren't for the long silver horns at their foreheads.

"Unicorns!" She yelled. She could hardly believe her eyes.

"That they are, miss." A man approached her. "Caught 'em with me own hands, I did." His voice was half muffled by the piece of straw in his mouth. Sakura was a bit thrown off by his accent.

"So they're yours?" she seemed interested enough.

He answered with a simple "Yup."

"Oh, please, can I touch them?"

"Sure yeh can." He stroked one of them gently behind the ear. "Jus' pet 'em be'ind the ears. They like it under th'chin, too." His turned to the unicorn, who was rather enjoying itself. "Doncha, boy?"

Sakura walked up to the unicorn on the right end. A little scared at first, she lightly scratched it behind its twisted ear. It tilted its head and dropped its ear as a signal for her to move further back. After the unicorn had taken its pleasure, it whinnied and playfully nuzzled her hand. Sakura giggled a bit at its actions.

"She seems teh have took a likin' to yeh." The man said. "I'll give ya one if yeh want."** (A/N~** Sorry if the way he talks is a little confusing!**)**

"You mean it?" She grinned anxiously.

"Ah, but at eh price." He gave her a wink. 

"Sorry. I don't have any money."

"Y'don't need money, m'dear." He lowered his voice. "All yeh need to do is git yer pretty lil self o'er to me home fer t'night. Then y'can have any one yeh want." A crooked smile crept across his face. 

Sakura nearly gagged. Gathering her many skirts, she turned and ran as fast as her feet could carry her, away from the crazy man and his unicorns. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice. Not even four hours into time in this strange new world, and she felt like everyone was after her. Her stomach churned as she thought of things that made her very homesick, and her cheery mood disintegrated. She slowed her pace and solemnly strolled through the busy streets. The smell of the strange food on the passing carts found its way to her nostrils, as did the scent of a manticore's rusty cage. The manticore sparked a tiny interest in Sakura, with its large lion body and its deadly scorpion tail. However, she was in no position to be excited about anything, no matter how odd or magical it was. A deep sigh escaped her and she walked on, when she came to the largest crowd in the fair.

Hundreds of people could be seen whispering and pushing their way to the front. Young children had even gathered on the cottage roofs to get a clear view of the wondrous attraction that had not yet reached Sakura's eager eyes. Then, a loud 'Roooaaaaaaarrrr!!!!' ripped though the sky and echoed off the walls of the town. The crowd gasped in unison and Sakura staggered backwards. 

The suspense much too great, her curiosity pulled her into the noisy crowd. And after finding a tiny gap between two fat men, she hastily squeezed her way to the front. The sight that greeted her almost caused her to faint.

There, in the ring of attention, was a dragon. With it were twenty or so men dressed in old, worn armor, who were trying to bind it with large chains. They dug their feet into the ground and they hung on with all their might, trying to force the dragon to the ground, but their attempts were in vain. The dragon bucked and roared, snapping it's sharp teeth savagely at its captors. It snarled at the sweaty men as it hoisted several of them up into the air and threw them into the screaming crowd. The dragon coiled its neck and bellowed in triumph. The reinforcements were brought in without hesitation. 

At the sound of a whistle, twenty more men rushed in and tackled it, grabbed its chains, and began to securely hammer them to the ground. The dragon swiped at them with its iron claws and flapped its onyx wings, but it did no good. The men whipped at it mercilessly as it lifted its head roared into the sky in pain, the crackling sound echoed into the hills. The barbed whip tore through the dragon's honey scales and dark blood trickled from the open wounds. The dragon could do nothing more than shriek and lash its long tail hopelessly about. Its slitted amber eyes were sad and angry, its chestnut mane was matted with foul, crimson liquid. 

Sakura became nauseous at the sight of the blood. But one look into those eyes and she recognized the creature… It was---…

…

__

The dragon from her dreams…

=+=+=+=+=

**__**

Meanwhile at the Kinomoto household…

"Where IS SHE?!" Touya furiously punched the living room wall.

Fujitaka sat on the very edge of the sofa, his face buried in his hands. Underneath those hands he hid a frustrated and sorrowful expression. He lifted his head to meet the sight of his rampaging son. "Touya… calm dow-"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?!" He spoke through his clenched teeth. "My sister has gone MISSING! She could be anywhere! She could've run away! She might've gotten herself kidnapped or… brainwashed! Some pervert could've run off with her! We don't have a damn clue where she is!" 

It was obvious that his feelings toward Sakura's disappearance were still fresh, even if the horrible news came two weeks ago. This only caused Fujitaka to become more upset.

"Touya…" his voice was hoarse and his face was sincere. "Do you think Sakura would want this? She hates seeing you act the way you are now."

"What good will it do?! She's GONE! What if she's DEAD?!" 

"Touya…" Fujitaka solemnly shook his head as his sad eyes became moist.

"I'll never see her again!" He spun around and threw an angry fist at the wall, the sound of crackling bones and breaking plaster caused Tomoyo, who was sitting uncomfortably on the love seat, to wince. Fujitaka could only look helplessly over at his son. Touya fell to his knees, kneeling before the large dent he made. "Never…" he repeated.

Tomoyo had to keep herself from screaming out of all the guilt. Sure, she knew _exactly_ what happened to Sakura. But were they supposed to believe that she was carried away by some… bird woman? How? How were they supposed to believe her? Tomoyo bit down on her lower lip as tears silently fell down her cheeks. What if Sakura _was_ dead? They could have done _anything_ to her… oh, the possibilities were just too horrible to imagine. 

"Mr. Kinomoto," she squeaked. Fujitaka shifted his weary gaze to her trembling form.

"What is it?" he croaked.

"I think I should I go home. You two look like you should be alone and-"

"Agreed," he sounded almost irritated. "It's been a long day for us all." 

"Right," She slowly got up, her eyes bore fresh tears. "Goodbye." Fujitaka made no response.

She gently closed the door to the grieving house. Nothing like this had ever happened to the Kinomotos before and Tomoyo felt most responsible. Would things have been different if she asked Sakura to come with her that day after school, _instead_ of having her wait outside? Or if she had just gotten their school things a little faster then maybe… No. It wouldn't help to dwell on her past mistakes. But she knew it was her fault and she let Sakura slip through her very fingers. What's more is that she couldn't tell anyone the truth without being thought of as a fool. What was she to do? She didn't know how much longer she could hold it in.

She awkwardly walked along sidewalk until the Penguin Park came into view.

__

'Sakura…' Her teary amethyst depths scanned the penguin slide as memories of an auburn-haired girl raced through her head. She remembered how much Sakura loved to stand up there and gaze into the woods, hoping that she would see her dragon spring out of the treetops to greet her. Now, it was Tomoyo's turn to dream.

She stood atop the penguin slide touching the place on the plastic crown where Sakura's hand would always be, and watched the mysterious woods in her place. A gentle wind played with her dark hair and whistled through the evergreen trees. Only this time, she was waiting for a lost friend, and she hung onto that last string of hope.

__

'I might not know where you are, Sakura, but somehow, I know you'll come back…

And wherever you might be… 

I hope you find your dragon.' 

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

****

*A/N*~ Hope this chapter was better than the last! I've just been having so much trouble with my computer lately. I have so many viruses I could swear that someone's out to get me. I haven't been able to get into my e-mail either. Damn hackers… .

Don't forget to leave a review!

-^o^- Raureru -^o^-


End file.
